Boy Scouts rescued in Utah weren't lost, just stuck

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A sick Boy Scout and his scout leader were rescued Thursday morning after getting stuck in thick mud and snow as they drove down from the Whitney Reservoir area in the High Uintas, said Summit County Sheriff's Sgt. Ron Bridge.

The scouts had not gotten lost, as initially reported.

The two left their camp at 5 p.m. Wednesday evening after the younger Scout became ill. As they descended the muddy roads west of Highway 150, their vehicle became stuck on an incline. They did not have chains on their tires, said Bridge.

The scout leader was unable to build a fire on the snowy ground and, rather than walk the 8 miles back to camp, chose to sleep in the vehicle for the night, said Bridge.

A search party of deputies from Summit County was deployed in the middle of the night. At 7 a.m., the deputies put in a call to the University of Utah's AirMed unit, which sent a helicopter to the area.

"We flew in, we spotted them, and we relayed that information to the Summit County Sheriff's. They took it from there," said University of Utah spokeswoman Kathy Wilets.

The deputies found the scout leader and Scout, both of whom were unharmed, with their vehicle.

"Search and rescue provided [the scout leader] with chains, and that's how he was able to get out," said Bridge.

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